


thirty-eight days, thirteen hours, sixteen minutes and forty-five seconds

by flamebirds



Series: one shots [4]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Batfam Week 2020, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23085229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamebirds/pseuds/flamebirds
Summary: She needs to wake up, because he doesn't know what he'll do if she doesn't.
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Bette Kane
Series: one shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901311
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22
Collections: Tales from the Cave





	thirty-eight days, thirteen hours, sixteen minutes and forty-five seconds

Bette Kane hasn't opened her eyes for thirty-eight days, thirteen hours, sixteen minutes and forty-five seconds.

Thirty-eight days, thirteen hours, sixteen minutes and forty-five seconds since the DEO found her in a pool of her own blood. Minus two week until they even _knew_ about it.

He's the world's greatest detective and he didn't know that his cousin almost bled out in his city. He didn't know that she was gutted, that her near-dead body was abducted and turned into a bargaining chip.

He can see Nightwing perched on the rooftop across from the hospital. He, at least, had an excuse not to know; he was off-world with the Titans, not even reachable.

Bruce was. Bruce was in the city, on patrol, the night she was attacked. He was in the direct _area_ and he wasn't there.

He grips her limp, pale hand and wills her to wake up. To open her blue eyes, shades lighter than his own, and mock him from the stress lines on his face, tease him for being worried in the first place.

Any second now, she's gonna wake up and, knowing her, be asking to be let back out into the field in a matter of hours, her own health be damned.

She stays horrifically still.

The doctors don't know when (or even _if)_ she'll wake up. They've all been injured before but this is ━━

This is Bette and he's never seen her _hurt_ before. She was Bat-Girl, back when things were simpler and people like the Joker weren't hiding around every corner. And then she was Flamebird, working with the Titans and he never heard of her getting badly injured in a fight with them. Dick would've mentioned something like that, he's sure of it.

She came back to Gotham. She never talked about why, but the trail of corpses that were once her friends speaks volumes. She wasn't Flamebird and Bruce was relieved. He thought that was one more person he didn't have to worry about.

Then the Cutter. Then Batwoman. Then she put the suit back on and he made a point to avoid her. He would look at her and he would see that blonde in a red dress, see a child.

He looks at her now and he remembers Kate's call, remembers the panic and the rage and the sadness.

"Wake up", he says and he realizes his voice is hoarse. He's been here for god knows how long as Bruce Wayne and when he suits up as Batman, he knows he'll switch places with Nightwing, just to null that worry in his heart.

If they leave her alone for too long, the DEO might try something again.

(If he leaves her alone for too long, she might flatline. She might die).

"Wake up", Bruce repeats.

He squeezes her hand and hopes, prays to whatever god is out there, that she wakes up, that she comes back to him, that she does _anything._ She needs to wake up so he can apologize, so he can let her know how proud he is of her.

She needs to wake up, because he doesn't know what he'll do if she doesn't.

Bette Kane hasn't opened her eyes for thirty-eight days, thirteen hours, sixteen minutes and forty-five seconds.

But when she does (and it _is_ a matter of _when_ not if), it'll be to her family. Bruce will make sure of that.


End file.
